Another deadly shooting in Minnesota, at the hands of federal agents charged with President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, has put pressure on Senate Democrats to once again shut down the federal government.
Meanwhile, Trump appeared to move closer to deploying active-duty troops to the state after accusing local officials of “incitement of insurrection.”
A series of appropriations bills passed the House of Representatives earlier in the week, including one intended to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which includes agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.
The Senate must pass these bills in a so-called minibus or the government will run out of funding on Friday. That’s after lawmakers agreed to end the previous shutdown in November with short-term funding.
THE shooting death of Renée Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis earlier this month had already prompted Democrats to seek reforms from DHS in exchange for votes on funding.
Another non-fatal shooting by immigration officers followed, but the last death Saturday has sparked new demands from House Democrats that their Senate counterparts must reject DHS funding.
“Senate Democrats are expected to block funding for ICE this week. Activate the National Guard. We can and must stop this,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. social networks.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Saturday night he would vote against the DHS bill, adding that Democrats would grant votes on the minibus if DHS funding was included.
Lawmakers could pass appropriations for other departments if Republicans agree to cut money from DHS.
Sen. Chris Murphy, the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee overseeing the DHS budget, reiterated his previous push to link reforms and funding.
“1. ICE must leave Minneapolis. 2. Congress should not fund this version of ICE – which seeks confirmation, chaos and dystopia”, he posted.
Murphy added later: “The Senate should not vote to continue funding this rampage. We are not powerless. We do not need to accept this.”
Other Democrats, including Senators Elizabeth Warren, Mark Warner, Brian Schatz, Mark Kelly, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, have also signaled they will block DHS funding.
The shooting also followed reports of Minnesota immigration agents detaining young children, arresting U.S. citizens and forcing their way into homes without a court warrant.
But on Saturday, Trump accused Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of demanding that immigration agents leave the city.
“The mayor and governor are inciting insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous and arrogant rhetoric! » he wrote.
This suggests that Trump could invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy the military to Minnesota. Last week, two infantry battalions from the Army’s 11th Airborne Division, based in Alaska and specializing in Arctic operations, received deployment preparation orders.
If he did so, the political fight over his immigration policy would likely turn from a budget standoff to a constitutional battle.
Earlier this month, Trump said he would invoke the 1807 law “if corrupt Minnesota politicians do not obey the law and stop professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking ICE Patriots, who are only trying to do their jobs.”
A day later, he told reporters there was no reason to use it “at the moment,” but added: “If I needed to, I would use it.”
